PM Narendra Modi rides open vehicle in Bihar's Bhagalpur, releases Kisan instalment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the rally venue in Bihar’s Bhagalpur perched atop an open vehicle on Monday, along with the state chief minister and NDA ally Nitish Kumar.

Modi reached Purnea by his special aircraft and took a helicopter to Bhagalpur, about 90 km away, where he was greeted by the Bihar CM and other dignitaries. The helipad was a few hundred meters from the dais. The PM chose to proceed in what looked like an impromptu road show, with Kumar by his side.

People erupted in chants of 'Modi! Modi!' as the Prime Minister, who is in his third consecutive term, waved at them on the way to the stage.

Modi was in Bhagalpur to release the 19th instalment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and inaugurate & dedicate to the nation various development projects, which he did with a press of a button.

The PM's tour, coming a few months ahead of assembly polls in Bihar, is expected to enthuse the NDA, which has ruled the state for nearly a couple of decades.

The upcoming Bihar assembly election

The Bihar assembly election is due later this year as the NDA government in the state, led by JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, will be looking for a fifth term. The coalition has ruled the state since first coming to power in 2005, although Kumar briefly aligned with the RJD a couple of times in that period.

PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the state can be seen as a precursor to the election campaign, trying to beat 20 years of anti-incumbency. The NDA won 30 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in the Parliamentary election last year, showing the grip the alliance has in Bihar.

Before Bihar, PM Modi was in Madhya Pradesh where he laid the foundation stone of the Bageshwar Dham Medical and Science Research Centre in Chattarpur. He launched a scathing attack on ‘those who mock Indian religious customs and traditions’ from there. He also attended the Invest Madhya Pradesh summit.